Escape the Drama: Season 1
by Pierana
Summary: Noah has invited ten of his friends for what should be a fancy dinner party in a past era. However, when they are trapped inside by an unknown evil, they will be forced to turn on each other and compete in death challenges. Who will survive, and who will be killed? (Based on Escape the Night by Joey Graceffa, featuring Total Drama Characters. I do not own Escape the Night or TD)
1. An Invitation

**Welcome everyone! So this story will be a crossover between Total Drama and Escape the Night, a Youtube Premium show by Joey Graceffa. It's a great show! This will be based off of Season 1 of the show. Instead of Youtubers as the guest, some beloved Total Drama Characters will be featured. However, things will play out differently. Different storylines. Different dialogues. And most importantly, different deaths.**

 **Without further ado, I present Season 1 of Escape the Drama.**

* * *

 _I started having dreams. About a house. A house that was built without hands. And then one day I received a letter and it was all mine. Life had been breathed into a fantasy. But now it won't let me sleep. Until I invite others._

Noah sat down at his desk and began writing a letter.

 _To my esteemed friends. I have acquired an illustrious estate through the death of a relative I have never met. I found it only fitting that you attend a dinner party on its grounds._

A woman walked to the front door of a house and knocked on the door. A boy with a green mohawk answered the door with a frown. "Telegram for Duncan." the woman said simply.

Duncan snatched the envelope. "What's this all about?"

Bridgette looked at her letter with a smile. "It will certainly be a night to remember. However the state it quite peculiar and only appears in the year 1920."

"What the heck? The 1920's?" Leshawna asked aloud as she read her note.

Brick sat down as he read the letter. "To enter its grounds, you must be dressed with clothes entirely from that era. If you are carrying anything from the modern world, the house will simply never appear for you."

"Not only your clothing, but your attitude must reflect the time." the letter continued. "I have included your unique characteristics on the back of this invitation. My driver will pick you up, and take you on a road that can only be driven on by his mysterious time travelling automobile. Then, almost like magic, the place will appear."

The automobile was shown driving the guests to the mansion as it appeared before them. It was large and opulent.

The head of staff opened the door of the vehicle as the guests stepped out one by one and entered the house.

The first guest walked in wearing a brown jacket, shirt, tie, and dark pants. "I'm Cody, and you can call me The Renegade."

The second guest was wearing a tan colored robe, brown skirt, white top, golden necklace, and a tall white hat. "I'm Gwen, and my character is The Journalist."

The third guest wore a blue dress, fur scarf, and black jewelry. "My Name is Leshawna and I am The Jazz Singer."

The fourth guest had on a white shirt, khakis, and a large fur coat. "My name is Lightning, and I am The Big Game Hunter."

The fifth guest was adorned it a white fuzzy scarf, sparkly white dress, and silver headpiece. "My name is Bridgette and I am The Gambler."

The sixth guest wore a black, sparkling outfit along with maroon jewels and a bandanna. "My name is Beth and I'm kinda like The Fixer."

The seventh guest walked in with dark pants and a dark jacket, white shirt, and bowtie. "My name is Brick, I am The College Professor."

The eighth guest was dressed in a white dress, with a shiny tiara, expensive jewels, and white gloves. "I'm Heather, and I am The Heiress."

The ninth guest wore a short black and silver dress, with many pearl necklaces and a silver headpiece. "My name is Jo, and I'm The Hustler."

The tenth guest entered wearing grey with a checkered pattern from head to toe, along with a red tie and grey hat. "My name is Duncan, and I'm The Mobster."

The ten guests looked around excitedly at the expensive decor of the house. "I can't believe how nice this place is!" Bridgette gushed.

"I know right!"

(Confessional)

Bridgette: "It was just 2018, but now it's the 1920's, it's mind boggling."

(End Confessional)

"Hey what's up bab-" Cody started to say to Gwen, but she swiftly cut him off.

"I'm not interested, okay?" She said firmly, causing Cody to frown.

(Confessional)

Cody: "Two minutes into this party and I already got rejected by one girl. Hopefully this party doesn't get any worse."

(End Confessional)

The guests were shown mingling with each other. Heather stood off to the side, arms crossed.

(Confessional)

Heather: "I've been to plenty of parties and I have plenty of friends, so I don't really care to talk to these people. Honestly, I just wanted to see if we could actually time travel."

(End Confessional)

Suddenly, Noah descended down the stairs. "What do you guys think?" Noah asked from the bottom of the stairs. He stood still awkwardly in his black checkered vest, pants, and bowtie. _The Savant_ was his character.

The guests welcomed him. "Welcome to my new house."

"This is all yours?" Beth asked, mouth agape.

"Well, I inherited it from a distant cousin, twice removed." Noah responded.

"Don't we all look amazing in our 1920's outfits?" Leshawna said with a grin.

Noah nodded and turned towards his staff. "I want to introduce to the staff that actually came with the house. There's Arthur." Noah pointed towards the head of staff who gave the guests a warm smile. "Sarah, the maid." A woman with black lipstick and a serious look on her face curtsied and quickly returned to her spot. "We also have a groundskeeper, Marvin. Anyways, Dinner isn't ready yet because the kitchen is a bit slow, so take the time to talk some more, I guess." Noah finished.

(Confessional)

Noah: This is my first time hosting anything, so I'm a bit nervous to be honest."

(End Confessional)

Sarah handed drinks to the Guests. Gwen stood off in the corner, while Bridgette and Brick played darts. Leshawna walked towards a table where Beth, Heather, and Jo sat, but she tripped over the rug, sending her drink flying through the air and landing on Heather. "My outfit!" Heather cried. "It's ruined!" Heather yelled.

"Sorry girl!" Leshawna apologized.

"Sorry doesn't cut it! You've tried to sabotage my looks!" Heather stood up from her chair. "I need to go fix myself up in the bathroom." Heather turned and left angrily.

"Dang, it was an accident!" Leshawna said. Beth patted her arm comfortingly while Jo rolled her eyes at the petty drama.

(Confessional)

Noah: "I decided to give everyone a character to play up. I wanted everyone to be engaged, because I was afraid people wouldn't show up. I'm not used to hosting parties."

(End Confessional)

Duncan and Jo played cards.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "I'm a mobster from the 1920's, which isn't too far off from what I represent."

(End Confessional)

"I just got back from Africa, fighting animals with my gigantic muscles," Lightning bragged as he flexed. Bridgette, who was listening to him, rolled her eyes.

(Confessional)

Bridgette: "I'm a vegetarian, so I already don't like Lightning. Plus, he seems like a total egomaniac."

(End Confessional)

Bridgette ignored Lightning as he told stories about being in Africa, and instead turned to Beth. "I love your outfit!"

Beth's face reddened. "Oh..t-thanks."

(Confessional)

Beth: "I feel out of place at this party. My social skills aren't the best, if I'm being totally honest."

(End Confessional)

"So Noah, you own this house?" Leshawna asked.

(Confessional)

Leshawna: "I need to be involved with this house. It's huge!"

(End Confessional)

"Well I don't have the deed, but that should be happening, like tonight." Noah explained.

Cody walked up to Gwen again. "Wanna take a look around this place?" he asked.

"Fine, but not because I want to sneak off with you. Only because I want to see what else this place has."

(Confessional)

Gwen: "Being a Journalist, naturally, I want to look around and investigate everything."

(End Confessional)

Heather tapped Noah on the shoulder. "Take me to the bathroom." she commanded.

"Uh, Alright." Noah sighed and began leading her in the direction of the bathroom. He saw Cody and Gwen heading towards the stairs. "Guys, dinners almost ready, so just stay down here." Noah said. He turned and lead Heather down another hallway.

(Confessional)

Cody: "I feel like Noah is totally hiding something. So now I really want to go upstairs. Plus maybe I can makeout with Gwen up there."

(End Confessional)

Gwen and Cody continued up the stairs. After Heather was finished cleaning up, Noah led her back into the main room and hit a gong. "Dinner is served, everyone, head to the dining room."

One by one, the guests filed into the dining room. Everyone took in the large spread of food and filled up the seats.

"Everything looks delicious!" Bridgette commented.

Meanwhile, Gwen and Cody reached the top of the stairs. "This is so creepy..." Cody whispered.

"Don't tell me your scared." Gwen teased.

"Of course n-not!" Cody stammered.

Back in the dining room, everyone got ready to eat. "Wait, aren't we missing two?" Duncan asked.

"Where's Gwen and Cody?" Beth wondered aloud.

Noah frowned, assuming what they were up too.

"I bet they are totally making out." Duncan joked.

Gwen and Cody turned down the hallway upstairs and saw a dead man being dragged away, leaving a trail of blood. "Wait...what the heck?" Gwen backed up.

Suddenly, Sarah the maid turned around the corner with a blood stain on her cheek. She slowed down at the sight of Gwen and Cody. "I think the dinner is ready." Sarah said forcefully. "I think you should head downstairs."

Gwen turned and walked down the stairs.

Cody hung back. "I know what you're doing." He whispered into Sarah's ear.

Cody then followed Gwen down to the dining room as Sarah glared at him.

As the guests enjoyed their meal, the gate was shown being locked, and a stick dynamite was placed underneath the automobile.

"Noah, you've got yourself a nice place here." Leshawna stated.

"Yeah everything is great, except for the fact that Sarah creeps me out."

"She Sha-scares me too. And the Lightning ain't scared of nothing!" Lightning admitted.

(Confessional)

Heather: "Sarah is acting so rude to everyone. And she NEEDS to stop. That's my job."

(End Confessional)

"We should place some bets on where these two are." Jo said, pointing towards the two empty seats in between Bridgette and Leshawna.

"Yeah, it has been awhile..." Brick trailed off.

(Confessional)

Noah: "I feel really annoyed that Cody and Gwen had the audacity to go exploring even though I said not too, if I'm being honest."

(End Confessional)

"So is this estate impressive to you?" Noah asked Heather.

She looked around. "Not really."

(Confessional)

Heather: "I have a really rich family. What's so wrong with that?'

(End Confessional)

Finally, Gwen and Cody appeared at the table.

Most of the guests shouted as they made their entrance. "So, where were you guys?" Noah asked with a pointed look.

"I was just using the bathroom." Gwen said with an eye roll.

"No, we were totally making out." Cody lied.

Gwen slapped him. "Not funny." She added with a shake of her head.

"So tell me where you guys went." Noah pressed.

(Confessional)

Cody: "I know I saw something with that maid. But I'll keep quiet for now."

(End Confessional)

Arthur walked into the dining room, and slipped a paper into Cody's hands.

"Uh, what is that?" Beth inquired.

"I have no clue." Cody admitted as he opened up the slip of paper.

Cody read the words as the other guests pestered him with questions. Cody's smile left his face.

Sarah then entered the room with a covered tray.

Without warning, Cody began coughing up blood all over the table.

"What the hell man!" Duncan shouted as he stood up from the table.

The guests began to inch away from the table as looks of shock and horror crept onto their faces. Soon, their cries of concern filled the room as Cody stood up and walked away from the table. He slumped to the floor.

(Confessionals)

Gwen: "Blood starting spewing everywhere, and I actually felt bad for the poor guy."

Heather: "I didn't sign up to get my outfit _spilled_ on and blood to spill everywhere. I want to get out of this place!"

(End Confessionals)

"What is happening!" Brick shouted with concern as he hovered over Cody.

"I think I just got poisoned." Cody wheezed as he continued coughing on the floor.

"By who?" Beth asked frantically.

"It was probably the creepy maid!" Heather immediately pointed an accusing finger at Sarah, who still had the tray in her hands.

"I'm reading the telegram." Duncan said. "It says the dude literally got poisoned."

"Wait, so he knew?" Jo asked, shocked.

Noah grabbed the note and read it aloud. " _You've been poisoned. Sorry. I couldn't have you meddling. Your society has troubled me enough. In fifteen minutes you will be dead. Your lungs will fill with blood. However, you know I love games. There is an ANTIDOTE hidden on the first floor of the house. If you're friends are wise enough they will be able to solve the clues and save you. The symbols of your CULT mark the clues leading to the antidote. It begins with your last dish of the night. May you die in horrible pain, my cursed enemy."_

"What does she have under there?" Brick asked as Sarah set the tray down on the table.

Gwen tentatively lifted the lid, revealing a severed head.

Most of the guests screamed and backed away quickly.

(Confessional)

Lightning: "What the heck is going on in this Sha-House?"

(End Confessional)

"There's something in his mouth," Gwen mentioned. She placed her fingers in the bloody mouth, revealing a rolled up slip of paper.

"Shouldn't we call the police or something?" Beth asked warily as Gwen opened the note.

"Something is not okay with this room." Gwen started reading. "I like it in a perfect order, but certain things wander around the table instead of finding their perfect fit. Can you figure it out?"

"What the heck does that mean?" Jo asked, throwing her hands in the air.

"I think we have to look for this symbol." Brick pointed at a red symbol on the corner of the paper.

"That symbol means something." Bridgette said aloud as she began searching the room with the others.

(Confessionals)

Brick: "I can't believe that Cody is actually dying! It's our personal duty to save him."

Duncan: "So while I was looking around, I noticed this weird lookin' glass holder thing. I picked it up since there was only one glass on it."

(End Confessional)

"Guys, this thing has that damn symbol on it." Duncan alerted the others. The guests quickly walked over.

"Yeah, that's it." Beth confirmed.

Everyone started frantically looking around for glasses to place on the holder. Eventually, they found the three glasses meant for the holder. After placing all three, a nearby box flew open.

Leshawna walked over and read the note attached to the top. "There are three keys to unlock life. In the first floor study, one key to life is as high as the mountain top. In the library is the second key which lies hidden beneath the nine circles of hell described by letters and words. In the foyer, it's the third key to life which can easily be found but no one person can retrieve it without the helping hand of a friend."

The group split up to go into each of the rooms. "I guess we should look in the books." Duncan suggested.

The library group consisted of Duncan, Bridgette, Heather, and Beth.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "My group is responsible for searching for the key in the library. But I feel like these girls haven't opened a book in years, which is kinda a problem."

(End Confessional)

Beth grabbed an odd looking statue of a book. "Is this something?" She held it up, clueless, causing Duncan to roll his eyes.

In the Foyer, Brick, Jo, and Lightning stood in front of a wooden box with holes. Lightning put his hands in the holes. "Wait, I feel something! Like a box!"

(Confessional)

Brick: "So Lightning feels the key box inside the wooden box, so it looks like we will have to move the key through the box to get it out."

(End Confessional)

Meanwhile, Leshawna, Gwen, and Noah searched the Study.

"Look, somethings in that painting." Noah pointed toward a mountain painting. He pulled on the string coming out of it, causing it to rip and fall into his hand.

"It's a key!" Leshawna exclaimed.

In the library, the four where gathered around a book. They read the back cover, which told a story about the Devil. _Determine the ages of the Devil's corrupted children to get a key._

"What the heck, I'm not a Mathematician!" Beth said.

(Confessional)

Heather: "Lucky for us, I was part of the Mathletes. I can't believe I just admitted that."

(End Confessional)

Heather did some calculations in her head. "Guys, hurry up, you are running out of time!" Arthur yelled from the Kitchen.

Lightning struggled with the box. "Dude, you try!" Lightning said, pointing to Brick.

"Hey, what about me?" asked Jo angrily.

"You don't look very smart." Lighting replied bluntly.

She gave Lightning a glare. "Look who's talking."

Lightning was offended. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm calling you an Idiot." Jo retorted.

(Confessional)

Brick: "I'm trying to figure this out, but Lightning and Jo arguing is extremely...distracting."

(End Confessional)

Leshawna used the key to unlock one of the vials of antidote. She passed it to Gwen, who poured the liquid down Cody's throat.

"We need all three vials to save him!" Arthur yelled to the two groups still working on their puzzles.

"We gotta hurry up." Brick said as Jo and Lightning continued arguing.

"Three minutes left!" Arthur reported.

"I think I almost have it." Heather said as she continued thinking.

"Go faster!" Beth tried to encourage her.

"Shut up and let me focus!" Heather snapped.

"How did he even get poisoned?" Noah asked Gwen. "Did you do this?"

"No," She sighed. "Yeah, he's annoying, but I would never kill him."

"Noah, did you poison him?" Leshawna asked, defending Gwen.

"Why would I kill him?" Noah shot back.

"I mean, it's your house. I don't know."

(Confessional)

Leshawna: "I don't trust Noah right now. He invited Cody to his house, so it's kinda his fault."

(End Confessional)

"Ten seconds left!"

Just as the time was announced, Heather finished the problem. The trio at the box still hadn't finished.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Arthur shouted. "Time is up. Cody is dead."

Looks of guilt filled the faces of the guests. "Are you serious?" Beth asked.

"Why did this have to happen...?" Bridgette said sadly.

"Poor guy." said Leshawna with a frown.

(Confessional)

Noah: "I invited Cody here, and now he is dead. I feel nervous now, not only for my own safety, but also for everyone else."

(End Confessional)

"How did it take y'all so long?" Leshawna asked.

"Because Lightning wouldn't Sha-shut up!" Jo mocked him.

"We should figure out who killed him first!" Heather said.

"It was probably Jo!" Lightning said, earning an eyeroll from the Hustler.

"Maybe it was Duncan!" Beth suggested. "He's a Mobster, he probably kills people all of the time!"

"I only kill people who owe money to me!" Duncan explained.

(Confessionals)

Beth: "We just got here, and I feel like Cody didn't really make any bad blood with anyone. Except for maybe Gwen. And she was the last to be seen with him..."

Gwen: "Everyone starts accusing me, but I didn't do it!"

(End Confessionals)

"I think it was Noah, he invited us all here to kills us." Gwen defended herself.

"I completely agree girl!" said Leshawna.

"That's completely untrue." Noah stated calmly.

"Maybe it was Leshawna," Heather piped up. "I could totally see her killing someone."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Leshawna said, crossing her arms.

"Guys, it could still be the Maid." Bridgette said, pointing behind her, where Sarah stood.

Sarah avoided eye contact with the guests.

"She is pretty sketchy..." Duncan admitted.

Noah bent down and began searching Cody's body. He found a letter in Cody's pocket and began reading it. "If you are reading this, I have failed. My killer is not who you think it is. It is the house itself," Noah gave everyone a confused look. He continued reading Cody's note to the group.

 _"Which is possessed of an ancient evil that has locked it in time. I came here tonight with the intention of destroying it. I am a member of a secret organization known as the Society Against Evil. We've been battling this wicked force for centuries. There are four artifacts which the evil has hidden behind a series of puzzles and clues. If they can be gathered and a binding ritual performed, the evil will be locked away. However to complete the final task to retrieve each artifact, the group must vote on two people who must undertake a dark challenge. Tragically one of them will die. But to help you along the way, the Society Against Evil has marked the clues with their symbol. You have until sunrise to recover the artifacts before you are trapped here forever. What lies ahead will not be easy but I'm afraid you have no other choice if you wanna get back to 2018."_

"So something evil is in this house and we have to collect four things to stop it?" Leshawna asked.

"We should leave," Noah said. "Follow me, I have a car that can take us out of here."

The guests all walked outside toward the car.

"Wait up, these shoes hurt so bad!" Heather said from the back of the group.

As they neared the car, an explosion filled the dynamite beneath the car detonated, destroying it.

A sinister raven figure turned towards the guests, dressed in a hooded black robe. It gave them a terrifying glare.

They would not escape so easily.

* * *

 **And that was Episode 1!**

 **I know the death was parallel to the first death of the actual series, but I had to keep things the same, since this episode sets everything up.**

 **I promise you that the death order will be different from the canon series.**

 **Tell me what you guys thought! I hope you enjoyed it, I'm looking forward to this series!**

 **Leaving a review would be awesome!**

 **If you write one, tell me what you think of this idea! Also, who do you think will die next, and who do you want to see survive?**

 **/That's everything, see ya next time/**

 **-Pierana**


	2. The Ungodly Machine

**Welcome back to Escape the Drama.**

 **Today, the guests must work through a mad scientist's clues in order to find his evil creation, the Ungodly Machine.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Noah:" Previously on Escape the Drama, I hosted a party that only exists in the 1920's. There, a friend of mine was murdered by an evil power that controls the house. We now have to find four mysterious artifacts if we want to get back to 2018."

 _Months before the guests arrived..._

 _The hooded figure entered the basement of the estate. A man dressed in a lab coat adjusted a few dials on a machine. A young man and woman were chained against the wall._

 _"Please don't do this!" The young man begged._

 _"We didn't do anything!" The young woman shouted._

 _"Shut up!" The scientist shouted. "I need to think!"_

 _The old scientist pulled out some blueprints. The hooded figure appeared behind him. "It's time..." The hooded figure rasped._

 _The scientist nodded and grabbed a syringe. He walked toward the two chained victims, stepping past a box filled with a dark, black liquid, and an aquatic female monster of some kind._

 _He injected the syringe into the two test subjects as they pleaded for their lives. He then unchained them and dragged them each into separate glass chambers. He sealed them inside, and powered the machine on. Each chamber filled with a dark gas and sent a sharp electricity to the box with the unknown creature. The creature began to stir as the subjects slowly perished._

 _With a sudden jolt, the monster awoke with a scream. "We'll need more." The hooded figure said._

 _"The machine needs to be recharged." the Scientist said. "It requires more electricity than a small city."_

 _"Try using this." The hood said as he set down one of the artifacts._

 _"Once I place the object in the machine, it may be impossible to retrieve."_

 _"It's better that way." The hooded figure replied..._

(Intro)

Back with the guests in the 1920's, the car had just exploded.

(Confessionals)

Leshawna: "The car explodes out of nowhere!"

Brick: "Everyone starts screaming and running back into the house."

Bridgette: "At least we weren't IN the car."

(End Confessionals)

"What just happened?" Beth asked as they entered the house.

"Our driver just exploded, and so did our car, so we are screwed." Duncan said angrily.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "More people are gonna die, and it sure as hell won't be me."

(End Confessional)

"So now we have to get those stupid artifacts if we want to get back to the present?" Jo asked.

"Yeah, and some people are gonna have to die." Leshawna responded.

"That's horrible..." Bridgette lamented in the corner.

"I want to get out of here." Heather said as she looked out the window.

"Well, what do we know so far?" Brick asked Noah.

"Well, Cody's note had that symbol on it." Noah replied.

"Maybe that will lead us to the next clue." Gwen speculated.

"Let's go look for the symbols then." Beth said.

"Should we split up?" Bridgette asked.

"Splitting up is a terrible idea!" Heather scolded.

"We don't have much time, we only have until the sun comes up." Noah reminded the group.

"We need a dang clue or something." said Lightning.

Just as he said that, Sarah walked in with a box and set it on the table.

(Confessional)

Noah: "The last time Sarah walked in with something, she had a head, so I'm not feeling to great about this."

(End Confessional)

"This arrived in the post earlier today." Sarah explained as she took of the lid, revealing a glass jar with a severed, tattooed, hand inside of it.

The guests screamed and jumped back.

"What the HELL is that!" Heather shouted in disgust.

"Get that thing away from me!" Beth squealed as she hid behind Jo, causing her to scoff.

(Confessional)

Gwen: "This seems like a clue of some kind..."

(End Confessional)

"What does that say?" Jo pointed towards a piece of paper by the hand.

"Her essence can speak to you through the spirit board." Leshawna said, reading the note. Bridgette turned around and saw said board behind her.

(Confessional)

Lightning: "I don't know about the rest of these people, but the Lightning does NOT mess with spirits or ghosts."

(End Confessional)

Leshawna read the rest of the clue. "The hand can give you clue, however, it requires great strength to communicate beyond the grave, and it can only be performed once an hour."

Arthur walked up to the group. "May I make a suggestion?" He paused. "Someone should act as the voice and read the invocation."

Bridgette read the spirit board. "We call you now to bless our meetings. Heavens promise our spirits thrive, so now for the living, let the dead come alive."

"Oh hell no!" Leshawna shouted.

(Confessional)

Leshawna: "I really don't think speaking to ghosts is a great idea..."

(End Confessional)

"Greeting spirits...speak to us." Bridgette said, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, the board lit up with letters. "Guys, this thing just lit up!"

"Look at the letters." Brick said. "It spells out _books._ "

"Alright, everyone come look at the books." Noah commanded as the guests flocked over to the bookshelves.

Everyone began searching. "I'm not sure if I was supposed to open this." Duncan said from the corner. "But this cabinet has a chest in it with the symbol."

"So we need a key-" Heather started, but Leshawna cut her off.

"Or a code." Leshawna also suggested.

"I was going to say that, if you would have let me finish." Heather said, glaring at Leshawna.

"Are we gonna have a problem?" Leshawna asked, getting in Heather's face.

"I think we already do, you bit-" Heather shot back, but Brick stepped between the two of them.

"Your both right, can we just all look for the book?" he asked.

"Fine." Heather agreed. "But keep Leshawna away from me."

"Right back at you sweetie." Leshawna said sarcastically as she followed Brick to another bookshelf.

(Confessionals)

Heather: "Leshawna is getting on my last nerve. She better watch it."

Leshawna: "That girl gets under my skin!"

(End Confessionals)

"Guys, this book has an arrow and a number on it." Beth said, showing the group.

"I saw one of those too." Gwen said, handing Beth another one similar to hers.

Duncan and Noah also contributed to the pile of books.

Slowly, they had a large stack of books. They carried them back to the board, save for Bridgette and Lightning, who hung back. "Look at this." Bridgette said, showing Lightning a novel that had the same symbol as one of the tattoos on the severed hand.

"Nice job babe!" Lightning said.

"Don't call me that." Bridgette said sternly, walking away.

(Confessionals)

Lightning: "Ah, She's just playing hard to get. Ain't nobody can resist the Lightning!" (He flexes with an oblivious smile.)

Bridgette: "I can't believe that Lightning is trying to flirt with me, especially in this life or death situation."

(End Confessionals)

"We need one more book." said Noah.

Beth walked in the foyer and studied the grandfather clock.

(Confessional)

Beth: "I'm looking at this clock, and I noticed that the bottom can open up. Sure enough, the bottom popped open and I find the last book! I was so proud of myself."

(End Confessional)

"I got it guys!" Beth set the last book on the table.

"Nice work girl," Leshawna said, giving her a high five.

(Confessionals)

Brick: "We notice that the arrows represent which direction the dials should be facing on the wooden holder for the hand.

Duncan: "So we turn the dials in the corresponding direction, and the thing lights up."

(End Confessionals)

The lights began to flicker as a voice began repeating the code. "Three. Five. Four. Seven."

Jo entered the code, and the chest opened up, revealing chess pieces.

"Chess pieces?" Leshawna said quizzically.

(Confessional)

Noah: "Honestly, I don't understand what's going on."

(End Confessional)

"There's a chest board over there." Bridgette said, pointing towards the opposite side of the room.

Noah read the clue in the box. "30 men and only 2 women, but they hold the most power. Dressed in black and white, they could fight for hours. The ladies need to find a perfect pair, a handsome knight on the right with a flair."

(Confessional)

Leshawna: "Why do we have to play chess? Honestly, I wish we had a dumber ghost, we'd probably would have been out of here by now."

(End Confessional)

"Are y'all done yet?" said Lightning impatiently. "I'm bored."

"You could try HELPING!" Jo said angrily.

Lightning just shrugged her off.

Duncan ignored the fighting. "Yet one of these ladies is in a deep sorrow." he said as he read the rest of the card. "Her white bearded husband will not have his home tomorrow. Because a vicious bishop-"

"That's the bishop." Noah said, pointing towards the board.

Duncan scowled at Noah cutting him off. Noah began to move pieces around according to the clues.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "This kid's lucky he knows how to play chess. Otherwise he would of gotten a punch in the face for trying to talk over me."

(End Confessional)

As Noah placed the last piece, a drawer slid open on the table. "Nice job, bookworm," Jo said, giving Noah a slap on the back. He shuddered.

Brick grabbed the clue out of the drawer. "Today's experiment was a success. The machine was able to consume the life force of two college students and produce an ungodly monster. However, the machines demand for power is endless." Brick read off the note. Some of the guests looked uncertain about the thought of an ungodly machine. "I'm using an ancient artifact with an origin I do not wish to know of. However, it comes with a price. My mind can no longer distinguish between reality and a nightmare. I've locked the key to the machine in the green cabinet in the ballroom, But my scattered mind cannot remember where I left the combination on the first floor. All of the thoughts I can hold are of the triangles I learned of as a boy; fire, water, air, and earth."

(Confessional)

Gwen: "We find this leaflet with the four different elements on it and decide to split up, so we can cover more ground."

(End Confessional)

Heather and Brick searched as a pair. Leshawna and Beth did the same. Bridgette, Gwen, and Noah looked around together, while Duncan and Jo looked for the fourth element.

Lightning was left standing alone.

(Confessional)

Lightning: "The Lightning don't need a partner! Lightning is a team of one!"

(End Confessional)

"Is that air?" Jo asked, pointing toward an odd looking object reminiscent of a fan.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "Obviously we've never been to the 1920's, so we had no clue what this thing was."

(End Confessional)

Meanwhile, Bridgette found a fan in the study. "This is producing air, which is one of the elements."

Gwen picked the fan up and saw a symbol on the fan. "Nice work," Gwen complimented as they went back to the main room.

Brick and Heather had found the water element and joined the trio at the table.

"Alright, we've found half of the clues."

Jo investigated the object she saw, and found a clue on the back.

(Confessional)

Jo: "As it turns out, that thing was a heater. So I was like, half right."

(End Confessional)

Leshawna and Beth looked outside.

(Confessionals)

Beth: "Finding earth is a bit of a struggle. It could literally be anywhere."

Leshawna: "They gave us these dinky flashlights that barely work, so those aren't much help."

(End Confessionals)

Beth pointed towards a handprint of the ground. "Look, it's the symbol!" She shouted excitedly.

They went back inside now that all of the elements were found. Lightning finally joined the group after finding nothing.

They opened the lock of the cabinet, celebrating their work.

Gwen read the note inside the cabinet. "The Ungodly Machine is in the basement." Everyone frowned at the thought of going downstairs. "The cog key will unlock it's wicked engine. But understand that once the machine is turned on, It can only be stopped by the loss of an innocent life. Two guests must be selected by the vote of the group to be locked in the machine. Those two must choose a partner who will aid them in defeating the machine."

The group was in mass panic as the thought of death loomed over them.

"Everyone calm down, we have an orderly way of voting." Arthur said as he lead the group to the couches. "Here is how the final voting will work. "Each of you will write the name of the person you want to attempt the final task and put it in this hat. I will then draw the two names who must face death. Please, discuss this among yourselves."

"This can't be happening..." said Noah.

"I think Jo should go, he's a total rat!" Lightning shouted.

"You idiot, I'm a girl!" Jo said.

The group began splitting off. Jo talked in the corner with Duncan and Brick. "I can't handle Lightning being here for another second. He hasn't even helped us at all!"

"I completely agree." said Brick.

"Or we could vote Noah for dragging us into this mess." Duncan said.

"I'm voting Lightning no matter what." Jo said.

Heather walked up to Lightning. "Your voting Jo, right?"

"Obviously."

"Perfect. So Am I." Heather said with a smile.

(Confessional)

Heather: "If I want to survive, I need to start getting allies. And Lightning is so stupid, he will do whatever I say. But who else is desperate enough to work with me...?"

(End Confessional)

"Hey Beth!" Heather said with a fake smile. "I love your outfit."

"Uh...thanks." Beth responded slowly.

"I was thinking, you and I should work together to make sure we don't get killed off!"

"Alright!" Beth said brightly, shocked that someone was willing to work with her. "But who are we voting?"

"Jo." Heather responded.

"But why?" Beth asked, surprised.

"Because she's going after you!" Heather lied.

"Wait really?" Beth began to shake. "I don't wanna die!"

"You'll be fine, just do as I say." Heather assured her.

Beth nodded grimly.

(Confessionals)

Beth: "I can't believe Jo is targeting me!"

Heather: "Hahaha, that was a total lie. I can't believe how easy that was! The reason I want Jo gone is because she's going after Lightning, and I need my allies around as long as possible. I can deal with Leshawna later."

(End Confessionals)

Gwen, Bridgette, Noah, and Leshawna gathered in the living room.

"Who do you guys think we should vote?" Bridgette asked.

"Heather! She's a pain in the butt." Leshawna suggested.

"Yes, but she has helped us so far." Noah reasoned.

"Well, who do we vote then? You because you invited us here?" Leshawna said bluntly.

"I didn't know this would happen!" Noah defended himself.

"I think we should vote someone useless." Gwen said. "Like Lightning."

Bridgette, Leshawna, and Noah all nodded in agreement. "It's set then." Gwen confirmed. "We vote for Lightning."

The guests returned to the main room and got prepared for the vote.

One by one, Arthur called them to the voting stand, and they wrote down names. Jo wrote down _LIGHTNING_ in big block letters.

When it was Lightning's turn, he didn't hide his vote. "I'm voting for you Jo."

She rolled her eyes at him.

Arthur mixed up the votes in the hat and drew the first name.

"Jo."

Jo shook her head. "Ridiculous."

Arthur pulled out a second slip. "Lightning."

"WHAT!" Lightning shouted obliviously. "Why would you want to get rid of this?" He said, flexing his biceps.

"Jo, you must pick your partner to save you first."

"I'll pick...Gwen." Jo said.

(Confessional)

Jo: "I decided to pick Gwen because she's been the main puzzle solver so far. Plus, if I chose Duncan or Brick, it would make it obvious that we are voting together."

Gwen: "Jo picked me, and I'm gonna try my best to save her, since I already feel guilty about Cody's death.

(End Confessional)

"Lightning, who will you choose?" Arthur asked.

"The Lightning picks...Bridgette."

(Confessionals)

Lightning: "I know Bridgette wants a piece of The Lightning, so she's gonna win this challenge."

Bridgette: "This guy cannot take a hint, can he?"

(End Confessionals)

"Alright, the four of you follow me, the rest of you stay here." Arthur instructed. He lead them out of the room and down into the basement.

They opened the door to the basement, and saw the Ungodly Machine waiting for them. "Oh my god!" Bridgette said.

(Confessionals)

Lightning: "What's so scary about some dumb machine?"

Bridgette: "I'm glad I'm not the one that has to go inside that thing."

(End Confessionals)

"Why do you even have this thing down here?" Gwen asked as Arthur walked over to the control panels.

"Please read the directions." Arthur said.

"To free the artifact from the bowels of the machine, it must be forced into malfunction." Gwen read. "The two guests selected by vote must be locked into separate glass chambers. The Machine is started by placing the cog key in the center console."

(Confessional)

Gwen: "Basically the first person to get the machine to malfunction gets the person out of the tube, while the other chamber fills with glass and will kill whoever is in it."

(End Confessional)

"If thirty minute pass without the machine malfunctioning, both chambers will fill with noxious gas, and a monster will emerge." Gwen finished.

Arthur locked Lightning and Jo into their chambers and placed the cog key into the console. "Just a reminder, Gwen is competing to save Jo, while Bridgette is competing to save Lightning." Arthur started the timer. "It begins."

Gwen and Bridgette went to their respective control panels and began reading the blue prints.

 _Step 1: Overload the Power Core_

Gwen looked over the directions. "This isn't even English, its just a bunch of weird symbols."

"Don't get overwhelmed, just focus." Jo tried to encourage Gwen from inside the chamber.

(Confessional)

Bridgette: "Basically we have to move a bunch of levers in the right direction, but I honestly can't tell which order they are supposed to go in."

(End Confessional)

"I feel like I'm doing something wrong." Bridgette said as she continued to move the levers.

Gwen moved the final lever downward. and a jolt of electricity sparked from the machine. "Gwen has solved the first step." Arthur announced.

"Hurry up!" Lightning shouted.

"Shhhh! I need to focus!" Bridgette said as she continued to try and figure out the symbols.

 _Step 2: Crash the Cooling System_

(Confessional)

Gwen: "I'm glad I'm ahead, but I still have a few more steps, so I can't get confident.

(End Confessional)

"So I have to put my hand in this vat of ice water." Gwen mumbled to herself. She reached into the vat. "It's freezing!"

"Who cares, just keep going!" Jo commanded.

"I can't figure this out!" Bridgette shouted from the other end of the room.

(Confessional)

Lightning: "The Lightning is started to think he chose the wrong partner."

(End Confessional)

Gwen unscrews the bottom of the vat, and pulls it loose.

"I got it!" Bridgette shouted as she finally completed step 1.

Gwen moved onto step 3.

 _Step 3: Rewire the Control Circuit_

Gwen removed the cover of the panel and studied the wires.

"Gwen, wanna give me a hand?" Bridgette asked from the other side of the room as she struggled to remove the screw.

"You better NOT help her!" Jo shouted from her tube.

Gwen ignored the shouts from around her as she began rewiring the box.

Gwen looked puzzled as she looked over the wires. Meanwhile, Bridgette removed the bolt.

"Come on, come on!" said Lightning.

(Confessional)

Gwen: "I was pretty far ahead, but now my lead has evaporated."

(End Confessional)

Gwen began experimenting with different wires as she began to figure out the puzzle. She placed the final wire in it's corresponding hole, and the lights dimmed a bit.

Noxious gas immediately began filling Lightning's chamber. He smashed his hands against the glass wildly, but his attempts were futile. His strength slowly waned as the gas created a thick cloud, blocking the girls from seeing his corpse.

"Eva has done it." Arthur said. "She has made the machine malfunction."

Jo stepped out of her chamber. "Nice work," she said to Gwen, impressed by her puzzle solving ability.

"Bridgette, I'm sorry, Lightning did not survive." Arthur apologized.

Bridgette frowned.

(Confessional)

Bridgette: "I failed, and now his death is weighing on my conscience.

(End Confessional)

A drawer popped open, revealing the first artifact. Gwen grabbed it eagerly. It was a silver triangle with weird, demonic shapes on it.

"I feel bad for Lightning though." Gwen said.

"He dug his own grave." Jo replied.

(Confessional)

Jo: "You know, Lightning had to go for me to live. Just the way this game works."

(End Confessional)

Arthur lead the girls out of the basement. Bridgette didn't say anything, feeling guilty.

Back upstairs the guests heard the footsteps of them coming back upstairs.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "I hope Jo comes back from the Ungodly Machine, I think she proved herself more than Lightning."

(End Confessional)

Arthur entered the room first, followed by Gwen, Jo, and Bridgette.

"There you guys are!" Brick said.

"Oh my gosh!" Leshawna said

The guests were in disbelief that another person was gone.

"So Lightning...died?" Beth said slowly, almost afraid to ask.

"Yes." Arthur answered.

"I bet Bridgette didn't even try to save him." said Heather.

"I tried my hardest! I really did!" Bridgette said, defending her performance in the challenge.

(Confessional)

Heather: "Well, one of my alliance members are already dead. Great. That's just great. (She rolls her eyes)

(End Confessional)

"What did you guys have to do?" Noah asked.

"There was like this giant contraption, and Lightning and Jo got locked in these glass tubes. Me and Bridgette has to make the machine malfunction. I was able to do it, which is why Lightning is dead..." Gwen explained.

"Wow, that sounds terrible." Leshawna commented.

"It was. But we did get the first artifact." Gwen said. She set it up on the mantelpiece.

"What is that?" Brick said, pointing towards a slip of paper attached to the artifact.

He picked it up. "You've been warned. One of you is in league with the evil in the house."

"What? Who is it?" Beth asked, shocked.

"It wasn't me! I almost just died!" Jo exclaimed.

"It's your house!" Leshawna accused Noah.

Noah's mouth was left agape as his friends began accusing him.

* * *

 **And that's episode 2!**

 **I hope you liked it! The Ungodly Machine has claimed a life, and an artifact was found.**

 **What are your thoughts on this episode?**

 **Please tell me in a review! What did you think of the events that happened, and the death that occurred?**

 **See ya next time!**

 **-Pierana**


	3. Buried Alive

**Welcome back to Escape the Drama.**

 **I present to you, Episode 3: Buried Alive.**

* * *

Noah: "Previously on Escape the Drama, Bridgette failed to save Lightning from the grips of the Ungodly Machine. We recovered the first of four artifacts and learned a shocking truth; one of us is in league with the evil of the house.

 _Months before the Guests arrived..._

 _It was a stormy night. A man and woman had finished passionately making out, and the man walked over the the side of the room while the woman smoked a cigarette. The man removed a vial of liquid from the shelf, and dumped it over a rag. As the woman smoked, he sat next to her. Suddenly, he forced the rag over her face, knocking her out._

 _When she awoke, she was being carried by the man. The man set her down, while another man finished digging a hole in the ground. A casket was laying nearby. The woman realized what was happening and attempted to run away, but she was caught and lifted into the casket by the men. They slammed the lid shut and wrapped it in a chain as she banged her fists against the door, screaming to be let out._

 _The hooded figure appeared behind the men. "Is she inside?" It asked the men._

 _They nodded grimly._

 _"Bury her." The figure directed. The men placed the casket in the hole, and covered the hole with the dirt._

 _The hooded figure knelt onto the ground, setting the artifact into a box. It dumped salt in a circle around the box._

 _Suddenly, two large claws reached up from the ground and wrapped around the box, swallowing it into the earth..._

(Intro)

The guests were arguing in the main room over what the note said. "I think your the one working with the evil." Heather pointed at Bridgette.

"What? Why me?" she asked, alarmed.

"You didn't save Lightning!" Heather yelled.

"I tried!"

(Confessionals)

Bridgette: "I already feel horrible about failing Lightning, and Heather's just rubbing salt in the wound."

Heather: "I'm already one ally down, and my survival is dependent on having people vote for me! So yeah, I'm furious!"

(End Confessionals)

"Aww, lay off her! I believe her when she said she tried." Leshawna said to Heather.

"Of course you side with her." Heather said with her arms crossed.

(Confessionals)

Leshawna: "I would not be shocked if Heather was in league with the evil. She seems evil enough to me."

Gwen: "This is crazy. Everyone is accusing each other. All I know is that I am NOT the evil one."

(End Confessionals)

"It could be Noah." said Gwen

"That's what I've been saying!" Leshawna agreed.

"It is his house, after all." Bridgette chimed in.

(Confessional)

Noah: "I can't believe they are all starting to suspect me of being in league with the evil! I know I invited them here. But still, I thought they would trust me."

(End Confessional)

"Alright. Everyone stop fighting!" Brick pleaded.

"Can we not just look at the next clue?" Noah asked. He picked up the note that was found near the Ungodly Machine. "Who is THAT?" Noah asked, pointing at a picture of a woman on the clue.

"The next artifact can only be found by speaking to the woman in the photograph." Duncan said as he read the clue. "The inconvenience is, is that she is no longer with the living."

"Wait, what?" Gwen asked, eyes wide.

"Oh, don't act so shocked. It could still be you who's evil." Heather said with a scowl on her face.

(Confessional)

Heather: "I haven't trusted Gwen from the moment I walked in here. And the fact that she was the last person with Cody makes her even more suspicious."

(End Confessional)

"Oh, shut it Heather." Gwen said.

Duncan continued reading the note. "To get answers from across the grave, you must perform a seance. But to ensure that the circle does not open a doorway for unwanted spirits, there must be acquired a unique part of her beauty. Either an article of her clothing, or her birthstone."

(Confessional)

Beth: "So we have to perform a seance...the thought of that terrifies me! Speaking to the dead seems extremely dangerous..."

(End Confessional)

"Wait, something's written on the back too." said Noah as he flipped over the clue. "If you seek the three, you must study the picture, giving it all of your attention, but must tear it to pieces right after you proceed. Once the objects have been found, return them to the golden dish and the seance ritual will be revealed.

Jo grabbed the dish and brought to the group as they studied the picture. "Well, she has really green earrings." Gwen pointed out right away.

"Emerald earrings. And emerald is a birthstone." Beth said.

(Confessional)

Beth: "Trust me, I know my Emeralds.

(End Confessional)

"She has a big scarf on too." Bridgette said. "And she has really bright blonde hair."

"Just keep an eye open for any _girly_ items." said Jo with a shudder.

(Confessional)

Jo: "Honestly, I really wish I wore my sweatshirt and sweatpants here. Wearing this 1920's outfit really makes me sick."

(End Confessional)

"Okay, I don't think we need the picture anymore." Gwen said. Noah ripped up the photograph as a drawer popped open on one of the nearby tables.

The guests all rushed over. "There's three keys in here." Brick said.

"Probably to the rest of the house, I'd assume." said Noah matter-of-factly.

"Let's split up then." Duncan ordered.

"May I suggest that we go upstairs?" Arthur said.

"I don't wanna go upstairs," Leshawna said, tentative.

"Yeah, the basement was scary enough." Bridgette added.

"Everyone, upstairs." Arthur lead the way. Sarah stayed behind in the kitchen.

"Up the stairs in the creepy house." Beth said.

"Excuse me, this is my house." Noah said with a frown.

"Which makes you more suspicious!" Leshawna shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

Gwen opened up one of the doors.

(Confessional)

Gwen: "Last time I came upstairs, I was with Cody, and he got poisoned. So I'm definitely on high alert.

(End Confessional)

She stepped inside the room.

"This looks like the guest room." Brick observed.

On the bed was a suitcase with multiple garment's of women's clothing.

"Okay, look for a scarf." Gwen said.

In another room, Heather, Bridgette, and Duncan searched for the earrings.

"Found them!" Bridgette said after opening up a jewelry box.

"There's some wigs over here." said Beth in a different room.

"There's wigs everywhere in here!" said Jo.

"You could use one, honey." Leshawna joked.

Jo glared at her. "Excuse me?"

"It was a joke!" Leshawna said, her own smile fading.

Jo stomped off.

"Tough crowd..." Leshawna said to Beth as she searched the room.

(Confessional)

Leshawna: "I'm not gonna lie, I kinda forgot what the hair looks like, so I'll let my girl Beth do the searching for this one."

(End Confessional)

In the jewelry room, Heather, Bridgette, and Duncan began walking out. "Wait up." Duncan said. "Before we leave, who do you guys think is working with the evil spirit?"

"I think it's Gwen." Heather answered.

"I was kind of thinking that too." Duncan admitted.

"It could be Noah." Bridgette said.

(Confessional)

Heather: "I have a feeling Gwen is evil, just look at the way she dresses. She looks evil to me. But I also think Bridgette still may be a possibility. But she seems too innocent to be working with the Evil House."

(End Confessional)

"I can't find this thing anywhere." Brick said in reference to the scarf.

"Neither can I-." Noah started, but cut himself off. "Never mind, I just found it."

"Good work." Brick said. "Let's go find the others."

Everyone headed downstairs, save for Beth, Leshawna, and Jo, who kept searching.

Beth felt along the wall, when suddenly the wall pushed open, sending Beth crashing into the ground the wall revealed itself to be a door. "It's a bathroom!" Leshawna said, ignoring Beth on the floor. "And there is a wig in the shower!"

Leshawna grabbed the wig. "Oh, let me help you up girl." she offered Beth a hand up, who gladly took it. Beth adjusted her glasses.

"Alright, let's go." Beth said as the three girls joined the rest of the guests on the first floor.

"We got the wig!" Leshawna said to the others. She added it to the bowl as another drawer popped open.

"What is in there?" Bridgette asked.

Noah grabbed the item. "It's a scroll."

"Probably for the seance." Beth said.

Noah unraveled the scroll. The paper was filled with instructions on where to place certain items for the seance.

(Confessional)

Leshawna: "I've never done a seance before, and I was hoping to keep it that way, but I guess not."

(End Confessional)

"This is so creepy." Heather said.

Noah began reading the scroll. "You are now ready to speak to the dead. You may construct the seance circle enclosed with white sand."

The guests quickly _got_ to work, removing the carpet so they could dump the sand on the floor. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Marvin, our Groundskeeper." Arthur introduced. Marvin handed Arthur a bucket of sand and a few candles before quickly leaving the room, not muttering a word.

"Each participant should sit in front of a candle." Noah continued to read the instructions. "One member of the group needs to sit in the center of the circle and act as the voice of the deceased."

Sarah quickly stepped inside the circle, and sat down on both knees.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "Right when Noah says that we need a voice for the seance, Sarah volunteers herself. If that isn't sketchy, I don't know what is."

(End Confessional)

Noah dumped sand around the circle. "It also says the circle should be seven paces across in diameter." Gwen read from the scroll.

Noah adjusted the circle to accommodate the measurements.

(Confessional)

Brick: "We need the make sure we actually do all of these steps correctly, because we don't want anyone to get possessed."

(End Confessional)

"Alright, I think everything is set." Bridgette said.

Sarah retook her place in the center of the circle. Everyone got into their places by the candles.

Arthur turned the lights down. "Read the invocation please."

Duncan grabbed the invocation and began reading. "Caroline Eastwick, you who lived yesterday, hear these words, here our cry. We seek your guidance in recovering an ancient artifact. Cross now the Great Divide and show yourself here."

Everyone waited for a few tense moments.

Suddenly, Sarah's head snapped forward. " _I am here."_

Her voice sounded completely different. Her once distinct voice and thick accent disappeared and was replaced with a ghastly, ghostly tone.

Everyone's mouths were wide open as the shock set in. " _I am Caroline Eastwick. I'm speaking through the mouth of your friend."_

(Confessional)

Duncan: "So Sarah is completely gone, and is replaced by this Caroline chick."

(End Confessional)

"We have to ask her something!" Beth reminded the group.

" _I was taken against my will,"_ Caroline said. " _And forced into a coffin, bound with an iron chain. My life was taken in order to hide one of the artifacts from the living. To retrieve it, you must find my coffin, exhume it from the earth, and release me."_

(Confessional)

Gwen: "I hate tight spaces, so much. They scare me to death. So I already don't like this."

(End Confessional)

Caroline continued her instruction. "You must also find the key to unlock the chain that seals it. The path that leads to the key starts at the fork beneath the weeping tree. Take the low road. I do not remember where the coffin was buried. I just remember being carried past the red stone. At the back of the house. Hurry, release me from this hell!" She finished as her voice rose to a shout.

"Back of the house y'all!" Leshawna shouted as the group began swiftly making their way towards the exit.

As they left the room, Caroline left Sarah, and she was back in her own body.

The guests were now outside. "So finding this coffin is our number one priority..." Gwen said with a shiver.

"Scared or something?" Duncan mocked.

"Gwen, quit being a wimp." Heather teased

"I'm not!" Gwen said back.

"Enough!" Jo shouted. "Focus on the task at hand.

(Confessionals)

Jo: "With my brilliant suggestion, we decide to split into groups. One group searches for the key to open the coffin, while the other group actually searches for the coffin."

Noah: "My group is supposed to find the coffin, and immediately I noticed the red stone that the clue mentioned."

(End Confessionals)

"There it is." Noah pointed. The rest of his group, consisting of Leshawna, Brick, Jo, Bridgette, and Arthur investigated the stone with him.

"Go to the tree 27 paces from here." Bridgette read off of the stone.

"Which one? There's so many!" Leshawna said, pointing her flashlight at the multiple different trees in the yard.

"It's gotta be somewhere over here." Jo said as she began counting her steps.

Sarah lead the other group consisting of Heather, Gwen, Beth, and Duncan. Sarah lead the way with Gwen close behind her.

Beth, Heather, and Duncan walked slower behind them, out of earshot. "Are you guys working with the evil?" asked Beth.

"Not a chance." Duncan said.

"Of course not." Heather stated. "It's probably Gwen."

"Really?" Beth said, wide eyed.

"I'm almost sure of it." Heather affirmed.

"Well, she may have killed Cody or something..." Beth wondered.

"Pick up the pace." Sarah said to the trio with a harsh glare. They all picked up their feet and caught up with them.

Meanwhile, Jo had counted 27 steps, stopping in front of a tall, but skinny a tree. "And would you look at that." Jo said with a smirk, picking up a clue at the foot of the tree. "String?" she said, noticing a ball of white string attached to the paper.

(Confessional)

Brick: "We realized that we had to unravel the string and pull it away from the tree."

(End Confessional)

As the group unraveled the string, they began talking. "So, none of you are evil, right?" Leshawna asked.

"Of course not!" Bridgette responded.

"I don't think any of us are evil." Brick said. "We should all trust one another, and work as a unit!" Brick attempted to inspire his peers.

"Oh shut up!" Jo said. "We don't need anymore pep talks."

"Guys, did we take a wrong turn or something?" Duncan asked his group. "I think we already walked on this path."

"This is so confusing!" Beth said with a sigh.

(Confessional)

Heather: "I feel like no matter which road we go down, we choose the wrong one. It's getting annoying."

(End Confessional)

"The string is unraveled!" Noah announced.

"Look, it's right here." Bridgette said, picking up the clue.

"The heart of the forest longs for its missing half." Noah said, reading the clue. "Fold the string in half, using the druid statue as your center point."

Jo folded the string into a half circle around the statue.

"So it can be anywhere around here?" Leshawna said.

"I guess we should start looking around then." said Brick.

The other group continued walking. In the distance, they saw a large object. "It's a piano!" Beth shouted, glad they finally chose the right path.

"Why the heck is there a piano in the middle of nowhere?" Heather asked as they inspected it.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "Yeah, it seems a bit sketchy to have a piano in the middle of nowhere."

(End Confessional)

"Hey, at least it's not a coffin." Gwen said.

Heather's face scrunched up. "Why are you so scared of coffins, weird goth girl?"

"I hate closed spa-" Gwen started.

Duncan cut her off. "Can you guys be quiet? We are trying to figure this out."

Beth ignored the conversation, instead sitting at the piano. "Look, these are the only white keys." She pointed at two white piano keys in the middle, while the remaining keys were all black.

(Confessional)

Beth: "This doesn't look like an ordinary piano..."

(End Confessional)

Gwen removed the wooden top of the piano and grabbed a small box inside. She opened it up, but nothing was inside. "It's empty."

"Shut up!" Heather said, listening intently. "The box is playing a song."

Heather tried to replicate the song on the piano, but nothing happened.

"I think your just hearing things." Gwen said.

Heather frowned.

(Confessional)

Heather: "Am I the only one who thought that sounded really sketchy?"

(End Confessional)

"I feel like we've searched everywhere." Leshawna said back in the other group.

(Confessional)

Brick: "We are looking everywhere, and can't seem to find this other piece."

(End Confessional)

After a few more moments, Bridgette noticed something at the base of a tree. "Here it is!" She alerted her peers.

She placed the two pieces together, and heard a clicking sound. "Nice job girl!" Leshawna congratulated.

Several feet way, the moonlight began shining harshly on a certain patch of dirt in the ground. The square of light shone brightly in the dark.

"What the heck is that?" Jo said.

(Confessional)

Leshawna: "Out of nowhere, the ground just lights up!"

(End Confessional)

"This must be where the coffin is." Noah said grimly.

"Where are the shovels?" Brick asked.

(Confessional)

Bridgette: "So we found the coffin area, now we have to wait for the others to find us."

(End Confessional)

At the piano, Heather picked the box back up. "I'm telling you guys, I hear music coming out of here."

Beth pressed a few keys that sounded similar to what Heather was saying.

The keys pushed in and stuck, causing the key to fall from the bottom of the piano. Beth quickly picked it up.

"Nice work!" Duncan said, impressed.

"Hey, I was the one who heard the music! Don't I deserve some credit?" Heather shouted dramatically.

(Confessionals)

Heather: "See, I was right all along! Gwen's gonna regret ever doubting me."

Gwen: "So I guess Heather was right. I kind of just assumed everything she said was a lie, but I guess she can tell the truth sometimes."

(End Confessionals)

Sarah then lead the foursome away from the piano and down the path to the other group.

The others had found the shovels and had almost completely excavated the coffin from the ground. "There they are." Arthur pointed towards the second group arriving at the coffin.

"Did you find the key?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, we got it." Beth said, holding it in the air.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "We see the coffin in the ground, and it looks like we have everything Caroline said we had to have."

(End Confessional)

"This is exhausting." Bridgette said as she hauled dirt out of the ground along with Brick and Jo.

"I don't like this." Gwen whispered to Noah.

"What is your problem with coffins?" Heather asked again.

"I just don't like small spaces like these." Gwen explained.

"We've already seen people die and you were fine. But now your acting all weird and stuff." Duncan said.

"Maybe because she's working with evil and she knows what's going on." Heather added.

"That's not it!" Gwen defended herself, wide eyed.

The lock was finally revealed in the ground. Beth slowly stepped into the small ditch and placed the key in the lock, opening it.

"Let's lift this out of the ground." Brick instructed. Jo and Arthur both grabbed an end and lifted the heavy coffin onto level ground.

(Confessionals)

Noah: "So I'm assuming Caroline's body is in this coffin, and honestly I'd rather...not see that."

Duncan: "I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happens. I'm not disturbed by bodies, so I was the one to open it."

(End Confessionals)

Duncan opened the lid of the coffin slowly.

(Confessional)

Bridgette: "He opens the coffin...and it's empty."

(End Confessional)

"What the hell! Where's the body?" Jo yelled.

"There's nothing in there!" said Beth.

"Are you people blind or something?" Heather asked as she reached into the coffin. "There's a letter in here." She grabbed the note from Caroline and passed it over to Brick.

"I can feel your presence is near." Brick slowly began to read it, holding up his flashlight. "My spirit will soon be free. There is only one more task ahead of you. The hiding ritual used to conceal the artifact required an unwilling soul to be buried alive and it was mine. Now another unwilling soul must be buried to reverse the spell. Only then will the artifact reveal itself from it's earthen tomb."

"So one of us?" Beth asked with panic in her voice.

"I know it is a horrible thing to require. but if I told you at the beginning you would have never come this far." Brick finished out the letter.

"The group must vote, but only one name will be drawn this time." Arthur explained. "That person must be taken away against their will and be buried alive in this coffin."

"Oh god." Gwen said.

"That's terrible! We can't do that!" Bridgette said.

"So whoever is pulled doesn't even get a chance to save themselves..." Jo pointed out.

"We have to kill someone?" Brick was outraged by the instruction.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "I'm used to getting rid of bodies. I am the Mobster. But those bodies are always already dead."

(End Confessional)

"The more votes someone gets, the higher the chance of their name getting pulled, but even if you just receive a singular vote, you still have a chance of being the person sacrificed."

"Guys, I'm really sorry for inviting you all here. But please don't vote for me." Noah explained

(Confessional)

Noah: "They probably think I'm suspicious. But I'm not working with the evil."

(End Confessional)

"Well, who do we think has been orchestrating this whole thing?" Brick asked the group.

"It's obviously her!" Heather said, pointing right at Gwen.

"No it's not..." Gwen said softly, eyes beginning to well up with tears.

(Confessional)

Gwen: "I won't cry...I never cry..."

(End Confessional)

"I sorta think it's Gwen too." Duncan admitted.

Gwen started to grow angry. "Do not put me in that box!"

"It might still be Noah!" Leshawna defended.

"I don't what else I have to do to prove that I'm innocent in all of this!" Noah sighed.

Everyone began splitting off in pairs.

"Well, I know Leshawna's probably voting for me." Noah said.

"Well I'm voting for Gwen!" Heather told him.

(Confessional)

Beth: "I don't want anyone to die. But if someone absolutely has to, Gwen might be the best option..."

(End Confessional)

"You guys won't vote for me, right?" Gwen asked Bridgette, Leshawna, and Brick.

"Of course not." Leshawna gave Gwen a pat on the back.

"This is the worst party ever." Gwen said.

"Is everyone ready?" Arthur asked. "Leshawna, your up first."

Leshawna walked over and wrote down Noah's name.

Heather scribbled down _Gwen_ as her vote, with Beth and Noah also voting for Gwen.

(Confessional)

Noah: "I feel like I'm gonna be getting some votes, so I voted for Gwen because I heard a few people throwing out her name."

(End Confessional)

Gwen voted next, and decided to vote for Heather. Bridgette was the next to go, and had the same vote as Gwen.

(Confessional)

Jo: "I voted for Heather, because Gwen saved me from that machine."

(End Confessional)

Brick wrote down his own name.

(Confessional)

Brick: "Voting last time wasn't as bad, because I knew that they would at least have a chance to fight to save themselves. However, this time we are directly killing someone, and I would never do that to someone in my own squad! That's against everything I stand for."

(End Confessional)

Duncan was the last to vote. He paused for a minute, and slowly wrote down Gwen's name.

(Confessional)

Duncan: "Outside of this party, I would probably be friends with Gwen. But I'm fighting for my life, and she's sketchy, so she's gotta go. Sorry."

(End Confessional)

Arthur mixed up the votes. Either Noah, Gwen, Heather, or Brick would be buried in the box.

"We are now going to decide who will go in the coffin to be buried alive." Arthur explained.

"This is terrible." Leshawna said. Everyone looked nervous.

Arthur selected on folded piece of paper. He opened it up and gazed at it for a second. "Gwen." He looked right at her as her eyes shot wide.

Gwen didn't say anything. She broke off into a sprint, running away from the group. Everyone began shouting.

Suddenly, Marvin, the Groundskeeper, jumped out from behind a tree and grabbed Gwen.

Heather grabbed Gwen's legs and Duncan latched onto her feet as they carried Gwen to the coffin. Gwen kicked and writhed in their grip. "Let go of me!" She shouted.

"Guys, we can't do this!" Bridgette exclaimed.

"We have to..." Beth said sadly.

"Don't let them do this!" Gwen shouted as she was placed into the coffin. For once, her tough facade had broken.

"Guys, stop!" Leshawna begged to save her friend. The protests were ignored as Marvin slammed the coffin lid shut.

Bridgette and Leshawna stood away from the coffin, holding onto each other as Gwen banged on the lid of the coffin.

"I can't watch this." Brick said.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Beth blurted out as she began throwing up at the foot of a nearby tree.

Duncan looked regretful as a few people grabbed shovels and began piling dirt onto the coffin. Gwen continued to pound against the top, begging to be let out.

Heather, Marvin, Duncan, Brick, and Jo placed the dirt over the coffin.

"Guys, I don't hear anymore screaming." Noah said. Everyone had grim, hopeless expressions on their faces.

(Confessionals)

Beth: "I feel sick."

Leshawna: "Gwen was my best friend here. I can't believe she's gone."

Bridgette: "I want to get out of here! I can't handle being here much longer..."

Brick: "I've never felt this guilty in my life."

Duncan: (He stares at the ground, looking a bit guilty, saying nothing.)

Noah: "I can't believe this is all happening. The only good thing is that it wasn't me."

Heather: "Yes Gwen was annoying and weird. However, it's not like I WANT to kill people. But at the end of the day, I'm saving myself, so Gwen had to go."

Jo: "This is survival of the fittest, and I guess it was Gwen's turn to go."

(End Confessionals)

The last bit of dirt was placed, leveling the ground off. A loud growling sound caused all of the guests to look to their right, where a black box was lying.

"Open it up, it's got the symbol." Jo said.

Noah lifted the top off, revealing the next artifact.

"See, it was all worth it." Heather said, grabbing the artifact. Additionally, a small gray box was also in the artifact chest.

Beth grabbed it and shook it around.

"Does it open?" Duncan asked.

"No." Beth said after inspecting it.

"Alright, can we go inside? I don't want to be out here any longer." Bridgette said, leading the group up the path to the house.

Duncan took one last glance behind him, the moonlight still shining on the spot where the coffin now rests, before turning away and following the others.

Noah placed the second artifact by the first one inside the main room.

"I can't believe she's gone..." Leshawna said sadly.

(Confessional)

Noah: "This is the worst thing any of us have ever done. We all have blood on our hands now."

(End Confessional)

"What are we gonna do now...?" Beth asked.

"Something with that." Jo said, pointing towards the gray box in Beth's hand.

* * *

 **Buried Alive.**

 **Another guest has met their end.**

 **What did you guys think of this chapter? It's gotta be one of the darkest, since the group essentially murdered one of their own.**

 **I hope you liked it! I put a lot of work into it.**

 **Please leave a review if you enjoyed! Did the death surprise you! Someone guessed correctly in the reviews. Gwen was originally going to survive, but I decided to kill her off here because it will change the rest of the chapters dramatically without her their to help solve puzzles.**

 **Who's gonna die next? Find out soon!**

 **-Pierana**

* * *

 _ **The Deceased:**_

 ** _Cody_ ( _The Renegade)_**

 ** _Lightning (The Big Game Hunter)_**

 ** _Gwen (The Journalist)_**


End file.
